Smuggled grapevine cuttings 'risk to all'

By SIMON HENDERY

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is investigating claims that potentially diseased French grapevine cuttings have been smuggled into the country.

The ministry's enforcement unit has spent several weeks investigating allegations that a winemaker smuggled pinot noir budwood into the country about two years ago and it is now growing in a single vineyard.

The illegal import, which bypassed normal quarantine procedures, poses a risk to the entire grape and wine industry through the possible spread of European vine diseases.

A ministry spokeswoman said the investigation was expected to take about another week.

Grape Growers Council president Willie Crosse said the council alerted Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton after investigating claims which had been circulating in the industry.

"The person who has done it has obviously been looking for some commercial advantage for themselves, but in doing so they have put the industry as a whole at risk," he said.

He refused to give the location of the vineyard being investigated.

nzherald.co.nz/environment